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Title: Sweet Water

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Christina Baker Kline

Narrator: Suzanne Toren, Amy Rubinate

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-31-15

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 153 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of Orphan Train comes a novel about buried secrets and the redemptive power of forgiveness.

Cassie Simon is a struggling artist living in New York City. When she receives a call from a magistrate telling her she has inherited 60 acres of land in Sweetwater, Tennessee, from her grandfather, whom she never knew, she takes it as a sign: it's time for a change. She moves to the small Southern town where her mother, Ellen, grew up - and where she died tragically when Cassie was three.

From the moment she arrives in Sweetwater, Cassie is overwhelmed by the indelible mark her mother's memory left behind. As she delves into the thicket of mystery that surrounds her mother's death, Cassie begins to discover the desperate measures of which the human heart is capable.

Members Reviews:

Good book

It was a good story but the narrator was difficult for me to listen to.

Story ok. But.

I probably would have enjoyed the story much more if the person narrating "Cassy's" part was someone else. This person has a very strange affectation in her enunciation of words that is mechanical and depressing. It was so odd and distracting I found myself loosing track of the story line

Clonclusion

I chose this rating because while the plot was just fine, the conclusion kinda left me wanting more. Also, I do enjoy this tone of readers voice but the reader seemed to make ALL sentences whispy like each thing no matter how mundane was romantic. I think this tone is good, but not needed for every line.

A really good book !

The book 'Sweet Water' is a very good book. I have read a few other books by Christina Baker Kline and they also were excellent,

with twist and turns in her story lines. I expecially like her decriptive writing and her attention to detail. I am extremely fond of the

way she brings in the old story of the caractrers past family history into the new story that she is telling you. Her books are well

worth the read.

J. F.

interesting twist

The story seemed to lay everything open early, but then it added twists to keep you tied in.

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Title: The Precious One

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Marisa de los Santos

Narrator: Abby Craden, Arielle DeLisle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-24-15

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 261 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From the New York Times best-selling author of Belong to Me, Love Walked In, and Falling Together comes a captivating novel about friendship, family, second chances, and the redemptive power of love.

In all her life, Eustacia "Taisy" Cleary has given her heart to only three men: her first love, Ben Ransom; her twin brother, Marcus; and Wilson Cleary - professor, inventor, philanderer, self-made millionaire, brilliant man, breathtaking jerk, her father.

Seventeen years ago Wilson ditched his first family for Caroline, a beautiful young sculptor. In all that time, Taisy's family has seen Wilson, Caroline, and their daughter, Willow, only once.

Why then is Wilson calling Taisy now, inviting her for an extended visit, encouraging her to meet her pretty sister - a teenager who views her with jealousy, mistrust, and grudging admiration? Why now does Wilson want Taisy to help him write his memoir?

Told in alternating voices - Taisy's strong, unsparing observations and Willow's naive, heartbreakingly earnest yearnings - The Precious One is an unforgettable novel of family secrets, lost love, and dangerous obsession, a captivating tale with the deep characterization, piercing emotional resonance, and heartfelt insight that are the hallmarks of Marisa de los Santos' beloved works.

Members Reviews:

Another hit

Marisa de los Santos never disappoints. It always amazes me how much she makes me feel about the people in her books. She makes them seem so real. I can't wait for her next book!

I'm so sad this is over

I've read her other books already - now what? this story was so great - a few twists and turns, a love story but more than that. It's a life story - about all of us struggling to make sense of this crazy ride we're on

Characters fell flat

I really disliked the voice and character of Willow . And the ending was really stereotypical , couldn't wait for it to end ! But overall the voices weren't terrific.

Disappointing

Would you try another book from Marisa de los Santos and/or Abby Craden and Arielle DeLisle ?

I will read her next book because I so enjoyed her first two.

If youve listened to books by Marisa de los Santos before, how does this one compare?

I thought the story was quite shallow, and I could not appreciate the characters as I did those in Belong to Me and Love Walked In.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator's voice was so nasal, so whiny, so very unpleasant that it distracted from any pleasure I could derive from the author's work.

excellent writing style

De Santos provides characters to love and to hate with personalities worth getting to know. if you are looking for a love story/ feel-good read, this is the book and author for you.

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Title: Welcome to Braggsville

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: T. Geronimo Johnson

Narrator: MacLeod Andrews

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-17-15

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 119 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of Hold It Til It Hurts comes a dark and socially provocative Southern-fried comedy about four UC Berkeley students who stage a dramatic protest during a Civil War reenactment--a fierce, funny, tragic work from a bold new writer.

Welcome to Braggsville. The City that Love Built in the Heart of Georgia. Population 712.

Born and raised in the heart of old Dixie, D'aron Davenport finds himself in unfamiliar territory his freshman year at UC Berkeley. Two thousand miles and a world away from his childhood, he is a small-town fish floundering in the depths of a large, hyperliberal pond. Caught between the prosaic values of his rural hometown and the intellectualized, multicultural cosmopolitanism of Berzerkeley, the 19-year-old white kid is uncertain about his place until one disastrous party brings him three idiosyncratic best friends: Louis, a "kung-fu comedian" from California; Candice, an earnest do-gooder claiming Native roots from Iowa; and Charlie, an introspective inner-city black teen from Chicago. They dub themselves the "4 Little Indians".

But everything changes in the group's alternative history class, when D'aron lets slip that his hometown hosts an annual Civil War reenactment, recently rebranded "Patriot Days". His announcement is met with righteous indignation and inspires Candice to suggest a "performative intervention" to protest the reenactment. Armed with youthful self-importance, makeshift slave costumes, righteous zeal, and their own misguided ideas about the South, the 4 Little Indians descend on Braggsville. Their journey through backwoods churches, backroom politics, Waffle Houses, and drunken family barbecues is uproarious to start but will have devastating consequences.

Critic Reviews:

"Narrator MacLeod Andrews captures the essence of the audiobook with a slow delivery full of gravitas. His voice expresses knowing sarcasm and hints at the story's comic darkness. He does an excellent job performing the many accents; his voice is clear and his tone atmospheric. It's a great book and a terrific performance." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Interesting but flawed

This was a really interesting examination of race-relations, culture, privilege, sexuality, and education. The premise was really solid and the some of the themes were examined well. At times though it felt as though this book was trying to hard to make it's point. It's tangets and attempts at meta analysis worked against it's overall impact. So good but not great.

Flashes of brilliance, narration not so brilliant

There were so many flashes of brilliance in this novel, so many parts so funny I laughed out loud, so many parts so sad I ached. Yet somehow, the story as a whole got off the tracks and I found myself really bored by the end.

But the first paragraph! That first paragraph contains what might be the very best character introduction ever written.

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Title: Second Hand Heart

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Narrator: Khristine Hvam, Anthony Bowden

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-10-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 97 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

By the best-selling author of Don't Let Me Go and Pay It Forward, Second Hand Heart is a devastating and unexpected story of love and loss--of learning to live for the first time and learning to live all over again. Vida is only 19, but she knows a lot about dying. Her weak heart has kept her on the edge of death her whole life. It hasn't been much of a life. Thanks to her overprotective mother, Vida's only friend is Esther, an elderly Holocaust survivor who lives upstairs. Vida's heart is finally about to give out unless she can get a donor heart in time. Richard is 36 and blissfully married until he gets the call that his beloved wife has died in a car accident. His world falls to pieces. When Richard is invited to the hospital to meet the young woman who received his wife's donor heart, he goes, even though he's entirely not ready for it. Vida takes one look at Richard and feels she's known and loved him all her life. Richard is horrified by her reaction and thinks Vida is just a sheltered and confused young woman. As Vida and Richard struggle to define themselves in circumstances neither ever thought they'd face, both begin to wonder if it's possible that cellular memory, the idea that memories can be stored in individual cells, might actually be real. Could Vida's heart retain some of the love Richard's wife felt? Can a heart remember, at least for a time, on its own?

Members Reviews:

Worst one yet

I have listened to most of her stories, and this one was just a waste. Waste of money and time. I even double checked the catagory it was in to see if it was a YA book, but no it wasn't. The 2 narrators were on par with the story. Yuk!

The story

Story 10 Vida on point 10 Richard too dry 5 .5 Enjoyable and yet refreshing.

not one of her best books....I love her stories

I love her writing, she writes books that the stories and characters stick with you. Unfortunately this story was disappointing, itnwill be forgotten quickly.

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Title: The Illegal Gardener

Subtitle: The Greek Village Series, Volume 1

Author: Sara Alexi

Narrator: Suzanne Heathcote

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-14

Publisher: Sara Alexi

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 203 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A delightful glimpse into the lives of two very different people who became friends and were both better for it. A rare friendship that changed their lives and may change yours a bit too.

Members Reviews:

Enjoyable Listen, Sweet, Maybe Too Sweet...

I did enjoy this novel and the audio performance was flawless. The story was a bit simplistic and although the author does explore the hardships which are faced by the illegal immigrants in Greece (and elsewhere in this world); the tragedy of these lives could have been better developed. The story centers around the life of a middle-age woman who has moved to Greece to start a new life for herself. She develops a friendship with her "illegal gardener" and, from there, the reader is given a glimpse both into the woman's pursuit to build a new life and of the life of the gardener whose life is vastly more difficult and impoverished. It was fun to hear about the Greek countryside and people. There is a lightness to the book which is enjoyable while at the same time it borders on trite. I would have enjoyed deeper character development. Ms. Alexi is an excellent writer in terms of prose and grammar. If you are looking for a "light" read which has a little cultural exploration in it, this might just be the book for you.

Heartwarming

This story gave me a fresh perspective on immigration and the "illegal" status of those who are seeking a tolerable life away from their homeland. Well written story and excellent narration.

an unexpected delight

The main character here is an Englishwoman living in Greece, and she is haughty and bossy and unfriendly and unlikeable almost to the point where I quit this book, but don't do that!! because an interesting and complex relationship develops between the Englishwoman and her Pakistani gardener. These two superficially very different people were shaped by similar sad memories, which still haunt them, which they eventually divulge to each other.

The story has a beautiful picture of Greek village life, and a realistically ugly picture of the life of illegal migrant laborers. The denouement is so satisfying! I really, really enjoyed this book. It felt like a lovely little sojourn in Greece.

On of the best of my 250 audible titles

Where does The Illegal Gardener rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Top three

Who was your favorite character and why?

Asaan because he was so honorable and wise.

What about Suzanne Heathcotes performance did you like?

Her narration was spot on. Good transition from male voices, Greek accents and English accents was seamless.

If you could take any character from The Illegal Gardener out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Juliette because of her growth as a human being and her courage and determination. She also enjoys good food!

Any additional comments?

I can't say enough about this novel and I am so glad it is first in a series although the only one on Audible. I grew as a human being after reading this book. It is kind of like a mini slice of The Grapes of Wrath in a European setting with the Okies replaced by Pakistanis, Indians, Russians and others escaping from terrible economies. I will never again see casual laborers trying to scrape together a living without a degree of compassion I never had before. This book changed me in a profound way.

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Title: The White Feather: A Novel of Forbidden Love in World War I England

Subtitle: Claybourne Triology, Book 1

Author: Mary Christian Payne

Narrator: Lesley Parkin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-12-14

Publisher: TCK Publishing

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The White Feather is a poignant, romantic, and sometimes tragic novel set in both the battlefields of World War I France, and in a small, Cotswold village named Claybourne-on-Coln. This engaging novel presents the reader with unforgettable characters, courageous and cowardly, generous and self-serving.

Mary Christian Payne once again takes you to a quaint, English village, where Lord Christopher Claybourne lives, with his newlywed American wife, Eleanor, and his mother, the Dowager Lady Cynthia, in his opulent family estate. At the other end of the village lives Lily Barton, in a charming cottage, with her widowed mother, Elisabeth. Their worlds meet at the beginning of World War I. This first novel in the Claybourne Trilogy takes the reader on an adventurous journey, fraught with peril, both at home and abroad.

A story of selfishness, devotion and loyalty, culminating in a perplexing mystery, The White Feather will leave you wanting more of the Claybourne family. This novel is a stand-alone book, to be enjoyed by itself, or followed up with books two and three in the trilogy.

Members Reviews:

I didn't think it was very "lovely"

Didn't enjoy this book. The writing is amateurish. She constantly described things and people as being "lovely" and I cringed every time I heard it. I couldn't help but smile at the narrator's attempt at accents and men's voices, which at least made it easy to identify who was speaking. This is only the 2nd audio book I've listened to and whilst incredibly convenient isn't as enjoyable as reading the words myself.

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Title: The Shock of the Fall

Author: Nathan Filer

Narrator: Bruce Mann

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-11-14

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

While on vacation with their parents, Matthew Homes and his older brother snuck out in the middle of the night. Only Matthew came home safely. Ten years later, Matthew tells us, he has found a way to bring his brother back... What begins as the story of a lost boy turns into a story of a brave man yearning to understand what happened that night, in the years since, and to his very person. Unafraid to look at the shadows of our hearts, Nathan Filer's rare and brilliant debut, The Shock of the Fall shows us the strength that is rooted in resilience and love.

Critic Reviews:

"The story Filer tells is deeply affecting and insightful in its account of mental illness. And Matthew is a character the reader won't soon forget." (Booklist)

"...a stunning novel. Ambitious and exquisitely realized, it's by turns shocking, harrowing and heartrending. The writing is so accomplished it's hard to believe it's a debut - it's clearly the work of a major new talent." (S.J. Watson, New York Times best-selling author of Before I Go to Sleep)

"A page-turner, tender and tragic, told in a vulnerable voice that steps in and out of madness. Vivid and haunting, I keep replaying this story in my mind, reliving it, long after having read the final page." (Lisa Genova, New York Times best-selling author of Still Alice and Love Anthony)

Members Reviews:

Wonderful and moving

This was a heartfelt and smart story of a family dealing with many traumas. The portrayal of schizophrenia seemed spot on and made the disease a relatable experience. The narration kept me engaged and never bumped me from the story. I highly recommend this book!

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Title: About a Boy

Author: Nick Hornby

Narrator: David Case

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-14

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 77 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures.

Will Freeman may have discovered the key to dating success: If the simple fact that they were single mothers meant that gorgeous women - women who would not ordinarily look twice at Will - might not only be willing, but enthusiastic about dating him, then he was really onto something. Single mothers - bright, attractive, available women - thousands of them, were all over London. He just had to find them.

SPAT: Single Parents - Alone Together. It was a brilliant plan. And Will wasn't going to let the fact that he didn't have a child himself hold him back. A fictional two-year-old named Ned wouldn't be the first thing he'd invented. And it seems to go quite well at first, until he meets an actual 12-year-old named Marcus, who is more than Will bargained for...

Members Reviews:

Like the movie, love the book

I hate it when I see a movie first and then read or listen to a book only to find out what I lived was added in Hollywood. This was NOT that situation. The movie is wonderful and I will always love it, but I am happy to report that the book provides more depth and resolution to each of the characters that I loved in the movie as well as insight from different perspectives. So glad I took the chance on it!

brilliant

A story about when it is right to be incredibly intospective and self aware and when is it healthy to drop all that and live on the surface, and when the reverse is true too. Totally worth the journey.

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Title: Before the Storm

Author: Diane Chamberlain

Narrator: Abby Craden, Kris Koscheski

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-14

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 120 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Laurel Lockwood lost her son once through neglect. She's spent the rest of her life determined to make up for her mistakes, and she has succeeded in becoming a committed, protective parent - maybe even overprotective. Still, she loosens her grip just enough to let Andy attend a local church social - a decision that terrifies her when the church is consumed by fire. But Andy survives...and remarkably, saves other children from the flames. Laurel watches as Andy basks in the role of unlikely hero and the world finally sees her Andy, the sweet boy she knows as well as her own heart.

But when the suspicion of arson is cast upon Andy, Laurel must ask herself how well she really knows her son...and how far she'll go to keep her promise to protect him forever.

Critic Reviews:

"A complex and emotional story." (RT Book Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Good in Reverse Order

I read these books out of sequence and honestly I think it was just as good as if I had read them in order.

Sure the reader (you) already knows the whole story, but the characters dont know anything yet and so there is an element of suspense that keeps you hooked when / how will they find out?

Having read book 2 first was not at all like knowing a spoiler in advance reading Book 1 second, it felt like I was learning the true details of an event that happened from someone elses point of view.

I enjoyed Book 1 just as much as Book 2, it was a really captivating and highly interesting story Id read Book 3 if ever she writes one!

Great book...HORRIBLE performance

What did you like best about Before the Storm? What did you like least?

The story was very well done.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Quite a bit, there are two narrators for this book and they are horrible. The woman does this inflection thing at the end of most sentences that causes me to just focus on that, in addition to this almost breathy quality. Both narrators just sound so fake.

Do you think Before the Storm needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It does have a follow up book.

Depressing

What disappointed you about Before the Storm?

Everything disappointed me about this book. None of the characters made me want to root for them (except maybe the one guy that dies) Everyone is just so full of self pity and Waaaa...poor me, life's so unfair. The entire story is one depressing chapter after another. Definitely not an uplifting book. I was actually in my car saying to the audio narration: "really?" Take a look in the mirror, change your life and maybe things will change. Hate is a strong word but, I Hated it

What was most disappointing about Diane Chamberlains story?

Zero uplifting or redeeming characteristics in any personality.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Before the Storm?

I'd start from scratch

Good Diane Chamberlain Story, but...

What did you like best about Before the Storm? What did you like least?

I thought the story was interesting, although a bit drawn out. It would have had more punch minus some of the filler, but the "mystery" part of it was good.

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Title: Sweet Expectations

Subtitle: Union Street Bakery, Book 2

Author: Mary Ellen Taylor

Narrator: Susan Boyce

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-15-14

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 59 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Running the family bakery and living in the store's attic might not be Daisy's dream life, but she's beginning to understand what being content feels like. And then she gets some unexpected news. In one moment, Daisy's calm existence turns into chaos. Now she's struggling to keep it together, especially with renovations at the bakery spiraling out of control.But when a box of recipes and mementos is found hidden behind a wall in the bakery, Daisy suddenly has something to cling to-a mystery that echoes her own troubles and gives her the opportunity to figure out what she really wants out of life.

Critic Reviews:

"Absorbing characters, a hint of mystery and touching self-discovery elevate this novel above many others in the genre." (RT Book Reviews)

Members Reviews:

loved it

I absolutely love this series. I listened every chance I got. the very last line in the epilogue left me wanting book 3.

Such a sweet story.

Loved all of the characters, depth of feeling, glimpses into the past. Very nice story, as was the prequel to this book, The Union Street Bakery.

Interesting story line

Interesting story line from start to finish. looking forward to the next book in the series!

Interest grabbing but totally mislabeled. NOT A MYSTERY

Excellent book. Good narrator. However, just as the first book in this series, it bares absolutely no relation to a mystery. I have no idea why has been place in that category. So, if you're looking for a mystery, this book is not for you. But if you looking for family drama, then it's a good one.

Great!

Great story and characters! Hope more to come. Narrator is the best! Union Street Bakery is a wonderful setting and the plot was so very interesting.